CLUTTER CLEARING
So how do we decide what is or is not clutter?
I believe that what one considers to be clutter is a very personal question.
Most space clearing practioners would consider bookcases of books to be clutter,
for instance, but I do not. I have been a voracious reader since I was about
eight years old, and I love having books around me. When I've moved and not been
able to unpack them straight away, I've missed them; they are like old friends
smiling at me across a room, inviting me to delve their depths once more, as I
frequently do. (Its is important, however, not to have every single space on the
shelving unit crammed with books - leave some room for some uplifting objects or
images, as well as space for new good things (even books) to come into your life.)
However, on the very rare occasions that I have bought a book that I haven't enjoyed,
or in a handful of cases, not even been able to finish, I am happy to speed it on
its way to someone who may appreciate more, either by passing it along to a friend
or donating it to a charity shop.
If you are at home, let your gaze wander around whatever room you are in now.
How many of the items that you can see make you feel good, and bring a smile
to your face? These are not clutter - they are chi and life enhancing.
What about everything else in the room? Well, clearly, it's not all going to be
clutter; there are some things in our complicated lives that we simply need to
keep, whether we want them or not. For instance, you may not like doing your
tax returns but you still have a legal obligation to keep any necessary
documentation for a given period. This may not be uplifting in its own right,
but you could try changing your attitude to the paperwork, patting yourself on
the back for having dealt with it efficiently, for instance. (if, on the other
hand, you have been putting off doing it, I would suggest that the energy and
time required to actually complete it is probably greatly less that than expended
in constantly having the thought of doing it roam around your subconscious,
floating to the top at inconvenient moments like when you're trying to sleep,
and having to be suppressed once more. Instead, promise yourself a little treat
for getting it done and see how good you feel afterwards).
So, if you can, file or store away neatly anything that you actually need to keep.
For everything else, you can apply the following formula. Pick up an item and ask
yourself the following questions:
Does my energy go up or down
when I see or touch this object? (In other words, do you feel
better / happier / more empowered by this or do you feel worse
/ more unhappy / diminished or reduced in self-confidence and
self-esteem by having it?)
Do I really love this object?
Is my life better for having it?
Do I still want it in my life, or is it time to let it go to a new home?
Leaving aside the Articles that I Need to Keep pile that we've already
mentioned, you might like to group your belongings into four categories:
Articles I Definitely Love and Want to Keep
Articles I Don't Really Love but Don't Feel Ready to Let Go
Articles that I Don't Like and Am Ready to Let Go
Articles that Are Broken or Obsolete
Start by putting your beloved and cherished pieces in places of honour around
your home, dusting, or cleaning them as you do so. (If you just leave them lying
around on the ground, they will become more clutter). It is often a good idea to
group a few items together, especially if you are in a relationship or family
setting. Single items standing alone, especially if they are images of single
people; give a subliminal message that being alone is good. It is quite amazing
the number of times when space clearing homes for single people who desperately
want to find a partner that we find picture after picture with just one person, frequently looking wistful or plain miserable, rather than happy couples or family groups.
Next, move onto the Ready to Let Go items. Do not give yourself the
chance to start backtracking - get some boxes or bags and start packing. Anything
that is in poor condition or is quite clearly rubbish can go straight into the
rubbish or garbage. Sort and recycle anything that can be recycled, and make the
effort to take it to the recycling centre if you do not have a kerbside collection,
otherwise it just becomes another "Got to Do".) Anything else can be sold online,
at a car boot sale or given to a friend or charity shop.
You can deal with the Broken or Obsolete bits and pieces at the same
time as "Ready to Go". If something is broken, can it be fixed and are you going to
get it fixed. If so, send it off or drop it off wherever it needs to be; if not,
scrap it at the recycling centre or waste disposal centre. If something is obsolete,
is anyone else likely to want it - for instance, there are collectors who collect
all kinds of items such as old cameras or appliances so it might be having a look
at EBay or a local auction or car boot sale for disposal.
Now for the big one - Articles I Don't Really Love but Don't Feel Ready to Let Go.
There are a number of reasons that items fall into this category - general ambivalence
as to how you feel about something, guilt about giving away something that was received
as a gift, or a worry that you may actually need it at some point in the future, for
instance. There will often be some form of emotional attachment regarding such
possessions. These may be bittersweet memories but often the attachment is connected
in some way with endings, either the death of a family member or friend or the
death of a relationship. The latter case can be particularly difficult when there
are children involved. For instance, if the parents have separated, whoever has
custody of the children will probably also have boxes of photographs and other
memorabilia from when the family was still one unit. No matter how acrimonious
the divorce or separation, the fact is that the other party is still the mother
or father and the children are likely to want to have access to such items when
they are older, even if it is not until they, in their turn, become parents.
The best solution in this circumstance is to put any such emotionally "loaded"
articles away neatly in a box in the loft or other storage space until your
children are ready to deal with it themselves. You may now consider it to be
theirs, rather than clutter that you have not been able to deal with, and
can thus allow yourself to move on.
Actually, as it happens, putting items that you are unsure about away for three or six
months is a good idea for helping you to sort through these. If you haven't missed them
or needed them, you are probably ready to let most of them go to a new home, either to
friends, other family members or a charity shop. If you have really missed something,
keep it.
In the case of seasonal goods, keep them for a year to assess if you do still need
them (in the British Isles, you may need to use your discretion regarding sun
equipment, depending on whether we've had any over the summer or not).
